Youth Voices

Happy 100th Birthday, Faiz

When I sat down to write this post, the first 15 minutes passed just staring blankly at the monitor screen. That’s not because I don’t know anything about the topic, but because I have so much in my mind that I can’t decide what to place in this small post. Whether to laud Faiz’s unflinching courage, or to hail his unyielding patriotism? Whether to highlight his magnificent poetic abilities or to admire his multi-linguistic skills? Whether to salute his anti-establishment leftist political struggle or to commend his meek personality and kind nature? Whether to discuss his journalistic career or to mention his fondness for world-wide tourism? Whether to eulogize him for being the first Pakistani to be awarded the Lenin Peace Prize or to revere him for his nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize? I might end up writing a book. To concentrate more, I insert my headphones in my ears, playing Faiz’s famous “wa yaqba wajhu Rabbika”.

As Iqbal Bano’s mesmerising voice pronounces “hum dekhain gay” and the words cast their usual spell, penetrating from ears to brain and finally the heart, and the clock announces the passing of one whole hour, a tiny tear emerges in my eye. And I smile. Recalling Faiz’s comrade, Sahir’s verse